Ah! Amour!
by Gotheh
Summary: A paranoid cat in secret hiding, and a brutally wounded ninja are being hunted by lovers determined to find them. However, darker force commences to destroy the love knot altogether. “Pucca” and “Pepe le Pew” mix. ILLUSTRATED.
1. Flight

**Introduction**

I was a bit surprised to find not many fictions about Pepe le pew, or Pucca, which I both adore very much (sigh). 

On another note, the locations and references used in this book are real, and I've tried my best to pinpoint cities in Germany where this takes place. I also referenced clothes for the next chapter, Chinese style, though I know that the cartoon "Pucca" is actually from Korea. Sue me. 

Rated T for, brief language (not much since I find swearheads distasteful), some drug usage (In the cartoon, Pepe actually smoked, so don't scoff at me), and some violence (knowing all too well that since there are ninjas in the plot, blood is uninvenitable). Other than that, none. And a little sorry for all perve writers out there. I cannot bring myself to bring any sexuality into my literature since it seems to make me sick and it's quite redundant. Though, there will be intimate moments. It probably could be rated K+, but I don't really care. I prefer to play it safe, you know? 

Oh yeah, one more thing, illustrations shall be on my profile. 

Enjoy. 

--- 

'Oh please...' 

A cat sat in a old wash bucket, filled to the brim with now freezing cold water. Clasped in her paws that had been pruned by how much time she had squatted in "Shampooing Félin", was a stiff scrub brush. As she dipped it into the suds, she scrubbed herself with such incredible vigorence and ferocity, one could marvel how her fur wasn't rubbed clean off. 

She bit her lip nervously, once in a while she'd look up and peer around her shoulder, her bright yellow eyes wide and frightened. She was anxious, the poor little thing, she rightly deserved some mercy. She wasn't ready for love, or so in her opinion. The little black and white cat was a very fine gal indeed, and probably could have one the heart of any boy cat if she wanted. Though, she hardly thought of that now, she rather wished she looked ugly, ugly enough to repel even the most love crazy goon in the world. 

Stepping from the bucket, dripping all over the concrete floor, she shook herself free of the lather. Trembling, she examined herself carefully, fingering through the suds in her fur. It was a few moments before she let out a tortured meow. The white stripe that had been splattered upon her back had stubbornly remained in plain sight. It had not faded nor worn in any way, and Penelope had tried every possible trick in the book to remove it. Even painting over it with black paint proved to be even more disastrous than just leaving it the way it was... 

Wet and shivering, the cat skittered over to some blankets and buried herself in them. 

'I'm not coming out until early morning.' she convinced silently herself as she wrapped herself up tight like a cocoon in that blue blanket. She made a great effort that not even a bit of her fluffy tail remained in sight. 

'Oh Penelope, your getting much too old for this sort of thing...' she thought as she pulled the blanket over her head, so only perhaps the yellows of her eyes could just be seen as they peered nervously from the darkness. And, perhaps the tip of her nose and whiskers, which twitched nervously from time to time. They'd grown much sensitive, very sensitive as time went by. Most of it was to do of that, that appalling, sublime fragrance that chased her over mountains and deserts and oceans. It seemed to clear out her sinuses, inflame her delicate nasal so it picked up even the scent of a moth, so when it fluttered by she could tell each flower it had visited. 

She had traveled here, rather, smuggled herself here, in this place, an old abandoned textile mill called Baumwollspinnerei Eilermark. No one would look for her there! She had thought triumphantly, and for once, she was quite right. The old factory had been closed around 1982, and in that time, nature had wrecked havoc on it's structure. With vines and weeds sealing shut most passage ways, the windows nailed closed and an erie silence enveloping the place. Penelope didn't care a lick. 

She was Glanerbrug, just across the border into Germany. She knew this because she had traveled the Glanerbrug railroad tracks to get there. Not by train, oh much to risky, besides, the plantation had taken over the railroad. She ran, she ran and ran and ran until she thought that her lungs might shatter and pierce her heart and kill her. Though that didn't happen (though it certainly would have if she had kept at it) she found her salvation by squeezing under the rusted chain link fence and fleeing into the Van Heek Brothers sanctum. 

Ignoring the closed doors, she had managed to squeeze herself in and hide herself in the darkest corner she could find in the huge place. There she stayed, only sneaking about when hunger brought her to catch mice that also made their home there. She'd lost much weight, and began to look more like an alley cat rather than the once pampered pet that had been long forgotten. 

And there she shivered, in her blue blanket she had shamelessly snatched from a child's crib and shampoo she'd helplessly yoinked from some tourist's suitcase. She hardly remembered how she managed to get them, only that she had them now, but all in vain. Penelope scowled at the empty shampoo bottle, and then kicked it bitterly. It couldn't wash off that blasted white stripe, and so she was still not safe, no, not safe at all. 

She wasn't just paranoid anymore, she was obsessed. Obsessed with hiding herself forever. She was just like the terror who chased her, who was, no doubt, obsessed with finding her, no matter WHERE she might be. 

--- 

Garu didn't know where he was let alone where he should go. Well, he did know where he /should/ go, but undoubtedly wouldn't. The infirmary. 

As the dark ninja proceeded down the railroad tracks in small, painful steps, he clutched at his bleeding wounds that showed through his torn shirt. Deep wounds, wounds that would seem hopeless to heal. Though, he wasn't going to be dragged into a hospital, even if he did knew where one was. He would not be made a fool of, not in front of everyone back in the village. Humiliation of his utter defeat was more than any type of embarrassment he could possibly take. 

He failed, against Tobe. After all of those years fighting, Garu had finally been flung down. He would never rise again, never. His honor wouldn't allow that to happen. No, he just really needed to be by himself now, to accept his utter defeat. 

His raven black hair was cut loose from the pigtails he usually bore on either side of his head. It hung lankly at a moderate length now, rugged and jagged where the blade of Tobe's sword had cut it loose. How humiliating it felt to wear it down like some yearlings mane and not up out of his face. Garu sighed heavily, it wasn't the least of his problems. 

Forcing himself to look up ahead, he caught the forbidding shape of building looming over the trees and shrubbery that grew wild in his wake. He eyed it lazily, not daring to slow his rhythm of walk in fear it would bring him pain to change tempo in the way he moved. 

A chain link fence slowly materialized before him as he approached, vines and thorns twisting themselves around the metal. He paused to regard it for a moment, then with a painful wince, he shunk down and slinked under it. He could've been mistaken as a stray dog, wandering aimlessly for a place to lay his tired head and rest his sore paws. 

It was hard to think of that terrible laugh, so malicious and cruel, as he had felt the cold blade slash through his skin. He felt like a rag doll, being thrashed so violently by Tobe's swords and flying kicks. Garu had slacked, Tobe had practiced, this was the ultimate result. How could he have been so foolish hearted? What had happened that caused him to fail so miserably against his old foe? He couldn't figure it out... 

"Your girlfriend isn't here to save you now." Tobe had growled low in his ear as Garu struggled to bring himself up from the muddy ground. 

Making his way through the shrubbery, the ninja sighed wearily, staggering over plants and and overgrown weeds and grass as the ancient looking building drew ever closer. He regarded it quietly as he passed through it up close, his eyes flitting up the tall chimney and silo near an inlet between to buildings of the place. All overgrown, he didn't care, he could be alone with his thoughts. 

Finding a small opening near the back, dragged himself inside. He didn't seem to care about the old crumbling walls, where paint peeled off in large flakes. The owner had once thought dark blue would be nice, the next person found white with army green much more cheerful. Garu stumbled over random objects as he tread through a red powdery substance that coated the ground. He was very suspicious it was a layer of rust. 

Finding himself a corner, he sat down, bringing his knees up and embracing them. He allowed him mind to grow blank as he rested there, ignoring the pain that pulsed through him, he closed his eyes. He wished he had his erhu, the instrument he had an extraordinary gift to play. 

A sudden chill raced up and down his spine. It was too cold for his taste, how the hell did he get here anywise? He knew he was somewhere in Germany, but no where did he have a clue in what part. He had lost himself in the epic fight that had occurred before his defeat, by now, a few nights ago. He and his rival ninja fought beneath the stars as their flurry of insults and attacks caused them to travel throughout the country. They ultimately took a tourguide throughout Asia and Europe, a rushed one at that. It had been one of the most furious epic battles Garu had gone through yet... 

"Le-mew?" 

His insides lurched as the ninja caught the faint noise of something else in the room. He wasn't alone! He was too tired to even flinch, but he dared to open one eye lazily and peer into the dimness. 

There, staring back at him, a pair of bright yellow eyes on the other side of the room. He blinked, twice at that, knowing all too well that those eyes where feline. He knew because his own beloved black cat, Mio, came painfully to mind. As he stared, waiting for his own eyes to adjust to the dark, he saw that it was indeed a cat, but wrapped in a child's blanket. 

What on earth...? 

The cat glared at him with a timed fear and ravenous temper that he had never seen before in his life. Those wide eyes stared at him with such vivid and tension, as if awaiting him to pounce on her and terrorize her to pieces. A jolt of sympathy suddenly coursed through him... even though he was not in much better state himself, perhaps worse. 

He clicked his tongue quietly, not moving from his spot (he didn't want to anyway, he was much too exhausted). She eyed him suspiciously, though she didn't take a step near him. Through and through, he came to see her face as she tilted her head sideways at him, she was black and white. 

A warbled meow rose from the cat once again, she seemed to lean forward and sniff him timidly. He watched her, knowing all too well that he probably smelled like a slaughterhouse. He had blood on almost every inch of his skin, with sweat coat that had dried and gone sticky. He himself could smell the metallic stench rolling off of him, and since cats have sensitive noses, well... 

Though, Garu was pleased to see that she didn't run off. She seemed to remind him so much of Mio, who he realized he missed terribly at the moment and would do just about anything to hold him and keep him warm in his lap. Or perched on his head, which was his ultimate favorite chair. The cat in front of him kept eyeing him, but she seemed to be calmer, knowing now that he was no threat. Garu couldn't help but ask himself what sort of feline acted so unsure of herself? Yet, he dismissed the thought shortly after. 

He watched her for a moment more, then felt his eyes grow heavy, and soon the world around him faded to sleep. 


	2. The Fighting Path

A young girl, in her teen years, strode briskly down the sidewalk. She was topped with a casual, cherry kimono that made her glow in the dreary city. Her black hair was pulled into a tight odango atama, which bounced with each step. Her eyes not visible, as they where elongated, slanted like a cats, and veiled with dark lashes. Such was the natural Asian complexion, Pucca had a perpetual "cuteness" about her that made people smile. 

Though today, a determined expression was carved into her face. Armed with a back pack full of cooking utensils, money, and a small box carefully wrapped with white silk, she came prepared for the worst. 

Garu had been gone for the night and morning by now. Having disappeared the night before, Pucca couldn't forgive herself for not noticing his absence sooner. She couldn't help but be a little ticked at Uncle Dumpling, Ho, and Linguini who had tried a failed attempt at a "all you could eat" night at the Guh-Ryong restaurant. Her Uncles noodles where famous in the village she lived in, and soon attracted every residence within the area, until the tables where filled with hungry people with insatiable appetites. She had spent her entire night smoldering over hot plates, rushing to table to table filling and replacing orders, and bathing greasy pots until her hands shriveled and her nails wore down from scraping off burned on cheese from the cooking utensils. 

She was in the times square of Van Heekplein, a modern, characteristic and lively university town of Enschede. Pucca inspected the elegant, historic buildings, rich in Enchede's rich textile past. Though, she rubbed her tired eyes wearily. 

Why was it taking so long to find him? Utterly lost, the girl bit her lip unhappily. This was the first time this had ever happened to her before, not being able finding Garu in under a days time. Call it silly yes, but Pucca was an amazing tracker, and an even better trapper. Having taken this long was absolutely stunning. 

_ "Have you seen Garu?" It had been her friend, Ching, who had asked this question the morning Garu had disappeared. Pucca brushed some hair from her face as she wobbled to her feet, having just finished cleaning out the kitchen. It looked nearly spotless from the night before. She shook her head to the question. _

"He was supposed to teach me his punching technique, 'Scarlet Snow', this afternoon," Ching remarked sadly, bowing her head "but I can't find him anywhere." she sighed lightly, biting her lip. "I'm beginning to wonder if he ran off and is not going to teach me at all? That'll keep his secret move safe..." she frowned and grumbled to herself. Pucca stared, then placed her hand on her friends shoulder. However, it was perhaps to steady herself rather than Ching... 

Looking up Ching shook her head, breaking the uncomfortable silence. 

"Anyway if you see him, tell him I'm still waiting to learn that move." 

Pucca smiled reassuringly as she disappeared from the door, but as she disappeared, her smile faded into a concerned frown. She had never known the honor loving ninja to skip out on a teaching lesson, it wasn't like him to skip out, even on Ching, one of his good friends. 

All that day, Pucca spent her free time looking around for him, asking random people if they saw him wandering about in the tiny village. Every man and women had sadly shook their head. 

When she finally went to as far as going to Garu's house to see if he was home, she found herself in even greater shock. His small, humble home had been torn to shreds: the windows shattered, doors askew, floorboards torn up, grass burnt and flames still dying in smoldering piles of ash. Smoke rose from the destroyed home, which Pucca rushed into, to see if the ninja might still be inside, and to perhaps find out who caused such an outrage. 

Inside, it was worse. Everything was gone, blackened, smashed, or splintered, strewn about. Glass cracked under Pucca's shoes as she walked delicately through the maze of strewn chairs, splattered with blood. Mio, Garu's cat, was bearly alive among the wreck, fur singed, yellow eyes wide and searching. He had been partially blinded, and couldn't find his way out of the house. Pucca carried him and reassured him with her voice, knowing that his blindness could have not been caused by fire alone. What type of cruelty was this? 

When Pucca found the remains of torn clothing, and strewn ninja weapons stuck at odd angles into the walls and about the massacre scene, she knew. She recognized those poorly shaped weapons... it wasn't the first time she had seen them up close. 

"Tobe." 

Tears of rage came behind the young girls face. When would that stupid man learn?! She huddled Mio to her chest, glad that there was something left of the place that wasn't destroyed or plundered, silent tears of anger slipped down her face into his fur. 

That evening, she had arrived at the house of Tobe. She had been there several times before, on various occasions including fighting, good natured dueling tournaments, dream catching, house arrest, and criminal arrest. This time, she brought with her, her own sword, polished and sharpened so it glistened beneath the moon beams. 

Though when she busted down his door, she found there where no ninjas lying in wait to pounce on her like a pack of trained dogs. No string of insults or wisecrack from the headmaster himself, not the whistle of weapons being flung through the air towards her. There was no one there, at all. 

Sheathing her sword, Pucca had to restrain herself from tearing the place apart. She had no time for it, she had to know where Tobe and his henchmen where. Hiding somewhere in fear? Most likely, they knew very well they where no match for her wrath when it came to ninja jutsu. This was completely different though, Tobe had gone too far, and now he wasn't even here to show off his plans success? 

Backtracking, the last thing that Pucca did before she left the village was find the road of destruction that commenced behind Garu's house. It started with splintered trees, smashed rocks, blood tinted Earth, it was all she needed to pin point every move of the fighting ninjas. As she ran along, quick as she could under the cover of darkness, following the subtle clues of the fight. The more she ran, the more she began to realize that this battle wasn't an ordinary one. The fights Tobe usually began where petty ones, Garu could easily get himself out of and best Tobe and his henchmen. This was different, it kept on going, and going. Further down, the stench of rotting bodies was there in the air, but she didn't go as far as to see who they where. She kept to the fighting path, where she could almost see the young men as they killed each other, blow by blow, with their samurai swords. 

Why couldn't she had been there? 

"Nyah!" 

Pucca squinted upward at the building she had almost run into. She sign read "Hotel Amadeus." Pucca understood more or less of English, she recognized the characters Hotel. Even more so, there was a painting of a bed and a fluffy dog peacefully tucked in its blankets. For a minute Pucca weighed her options of either persueing Garu in the darkness, or get a good nights rest and look for him in the morning. 

She walked inside, feeling a sweep of warm air and smell of food inside. Marbled floor, bright tapestries walls and velvet curtains greeted her, along with a few people chatting in the eating area. It seemed nice, but only a bed and shower came to mind as Pucca walked up to the service counter wearily. Pulling off her backpack from her aching back, she opened it up. After inspecting the price on the sign, she pulled some yaun, counted it carefully, and handed it to the cashier. The man eyed it suspiciously, then gave her a questioning look over the brim of his thin rimmed glasses. 

"Ich kann dieses nicht nehmen." 

Pucca suddenly felt her face turning red. She realized she had forgotten to exchange currency when she had entered Germany. The thought had slipped her mind when she had weaved in and out of other countries, hot on the fighting trail he'd left behind, her only whim was her intent on finding him. Now she was stuck, and had no idea where a visitors center might be, where she could exchange money. 

"Es oben beeilen?" A gruff voice behind her snarled. A large man towered over the young Asian girl. With him, two large suitcases that looked as though they had been run over with a six wheeled truck a few times where clenched in his large hands. He gave her a pugnacious look. 

Glancing apologetically to the cashier, Pucca meekly took back the bills and folded them back into her pack, though not moving from her spot. She wanted to ask where she could get some German money, but didn't know how to communicate. After all, she knew very little English, (though she diligently attempted to teach herself several times). 

Suddenly, a epiphany struck. She gestured to one of the computers behind the cashiers desk. She'd be able to find a translator there, and ask him that way. The man behind her groaned and rubbed his head and a few others that had gathered behind him muttered in agreement. The cashier didn't gather her gist either, and only looked around his shoulder, hoping to fins someone else to ascot this young woman instead of him. 

Pucca stroked her chin thoughtfully, she liked a challenge. Maybe she could whip up some lotus buns to intice him into a more agreeable mood. It usually worked back home (embarrassingly). 

Though, just as she had thought of this, her nose started to tingle. A pungent smell had suddenly appeared in the air out of no where. It smelled like dead fish, old, sweaty men, and rotten carrion mixed with something that utterly horrid she couldn't tell what it was. She clamped a hand to her face and coughed. Obviously, she wasn't the only one who smelled it. The cashier wrinkled his nose and gagged, waving his hands wildly. The man behind him grunted and dropped his suitcases. 

"Ah, I zink I can help you miss." came a lusty voice thickly buttered with a French accent. Pucca (still pinching her nose) looked down to see a small, furry creature staring back with bright, yet relaxing black eyes. 

She'd never seen an animal quite like it. With a large fluffy tail, he stood on two legs, reaching to about her knees. Black, with a a pair of white stripes riding his spine. He seemed quite oblivious to the horrible smell, and as she stared, she realized that the deadly perfume was actually coming from him himself. She could almost see stench rolling of in tendrils of smog. 

"Ere you go zhen." the skunk seemed oblivious to the cashiers twitching and squeaking the man made. Conjuring a few paper bills seemingly from nowhere, he slapped them down on the counter. 

"Two rooms." he said casually, lifting to fingers to indicate that's what he wanted. Though the cashier wasn't listening. His jerks and violent spasms from the smell made him look as though he where having an episode. After a few moments, he teetered and fell to the floor in a fit of coughs and gasps. Both Pucca and the skunk peered over the counter at him writhing on the floor. 

"Vell, look at zhis!" the skunk exclaimed as he slipped over the counter to the other side. 

"Ere we are, I see zhat you picked out two top class suites for us, How gracious of you!" he reappeared a moment later holding a pair of plastic cards between his fingers. He smiled gently and placed one in Pucca's hand. 

"No need to zhank me, just helping out in 'ittle ways zhat I can." Pucca was still too stunned to move, forgetting to thank the creature for his kindness (not that she could anyway). The skunk had turned and walked with a bounce in his step to the hallway, turned the corner and disappeared. His scent trail could be seen snaking behind him, but air-condition seemed to swoop in again, much to Pucca's relief. 

Shrugging her backpack to a more comfortable position, she examined the card key he had given her. A good nights rest, some food and a shower and she'd be up and running again in the morning. She'd find Garu, if it was the last thing she did. 


	3. Stink Bombs and Conspiracies

Note: I apoligize if I'm taking in more of "Pucca" than "Pepe le Pew" characters. I'm trying my effin best to even it out right now, but it is difficult when there are more characters on one side than the other. A chapter or so from the next will probably be totally based off of totally Penelope's and Pepe's, so there is something you can look forward to if your more their kinda fan. 

I laughed the entire time I wrote this. 

Thank you for the reviews evreyone, they made me smie :) --- 

"Do you swine have any idea what happens to those who do not carry out their assigned actions?" the voice of the madman was strangely soft and calm. What was stranger, it was perhaps even more frightening than his angry voice, a demeanor where rage snapped out like lightning and the man became more of a wasp than a ninja. He had been strangely composed the last several moons, and that is what scared his henchmen silly. Recently, his plans became more and more clever, and even more daring. As they watched him at a nervous distance, holding their weapons just in case, they could sense the insanity surrounding him. The wind skirted towards them, whipping their hair and ruffling the edges of their clothing. 

There was a long silence in which no one spoke or made a sound, except for one unlucky ninja who happened to be too tense, let a small fart loose. Everyone's face reddened, but before they could worry about the cheese-cutting culprit, Tobe turned to face them. He seemed to ignore the noise; in fact his dark eyes seemed to look afar and beyond them. 

"Is someone going to answer me, or shall I sound it out for you." He said darkly, a lock of black hair falling over his nose. 

"Would you?" someone squeaked nervously near the back. Tobe's eyes focused and sharpened. 

"Let me ask you another question, hopefully one of you will know." He growled softly "Which of you here have been carrying around stink bombs in their back pockets?" More silence, luckily there wasn't another outburst of flatulence. The ninja's looked at each other cautiously. The stinkbomb incident in the final battle with Garu was something not to be mentioned. No one knew of the horrible stench that caused them to retreat just as Tobe was about to deliver the finishing blow to Garu's throat. Tobe had been furious, convinced that it was one of his confounded ninja's fault by having some sort of stink weapon that accidentally went off. 

"No answer again, typical." Tobe continued without falter, then he fell silent. Somewhere an owl hooted higher up in the canopy. The leaves that concealed the group of men seemed menacing instead of comforting, rattling whenever an evening breeze came. There was no moon, but the stars provided enough light to show each man's frozen face. 

"S-sir?" 

"Yes?" 

"What are we doing now sir?" 

"Waiting." 

"But for what?" 

Tobe turned slightly, then paced forward, his boots making a muted thud against the wood of the tree. He stood so he was nose to nose to his henchmen, all of them where holding their breath and biting their tongues, waiting for him to lash out at them with his double katana 

"For a little... assistance." He breathed.

"Pucca is no doubt on her way in finding Garu." he whirled around again, his voice suddenly sharp and decisive. "From what I know of her, she will find him in less than a week. Her power is NOT to be underestimated, I've made that mistake too many times before. Understand?" he looked sharply to his henchmen, and they nodded hastily in response. 

"When she finds him," he continued "She will bring him home again and he shall recover from the wounds I've given him. They will spread word throughout the village of my act, and when I show my face again there, I will be worse than a cursed man." Tobe fell silent. "Their love to hate of me will become stronger and stronger, soon I'd have to go into hiding." 

"And us too?" A ninja inquired cautiously. 

"Yes." whispered Tobe. "Garu _must_ be finished off, or he will learn from his mistakes and defeat me if he finds me again. We must strike again while he is still weak and helpless, and make sure that his damned girl isn't in the way." 

"So... what are we waiting for again?" 

Tobe sighed "You fools are not even listening to me. We cannot all stall Pucca, she is much too strong for us. Correct?" 

"Yes..." murmured the ninja's in agreement, a few shuddering from the memory of Pucca's painful lessons. 

"We need someone as strong as she is to distract her, while Garu will be free for the taking..." explained Tobe, but he was interrupted again. 

"But who sir?" 

Tobe smiled under his mask. 

"Thad be me, sweet cheeks." a voice came from behind them all. Most of the ninjas jumped, some squealed and a couple fell over. Behind them, a shapely figure of a woman appeared between the branches. Leaves fluttered around her feet as she stepped forward into the starlight. She wore a form fitting dress, sparkling hot pink that seemed to show off more skin than what could be considered decent. Pink gloves where over her sharp fingered hands, and high heeled combat boots, also pink, made a sharp noise as she walked towards the group of men, obviously not afraid. 

"Beg ya pardon of my tardy." she said carelessly, tossing her hair about her shoulders "Took nearly for_ever_ ta slip away from the village without no one noticing. Everyone is so uptight, they're askin everyone questions as if they've done a crime, with Garu's house blown up an all." 

She strode carelessly down the stem of the tree, where Tobe's henchmen moved aside for her. Her hair was of a electric blue shade, eyes and mouth and cheeks sharply defined with colorful makeup. She stopped in front of Tobe, fluttering her dark lashes at him before folding her arms across her chest and hunching her shoulders. 

"An now they think I've kidnapped Pucca, since I hate her an all, Jeezus." she flashed Tobe a penetrating look. "You'z gonna have ta pay good to build up my reputation again. Ya hear?" 

"Oh yes, I'll make sure that happens, Ring Ring." Tobe said quietly, a his malicious crocodile smile still hidden by the cloth that covered his facade. "You just make sure you hold up your end of the bargain, or that will not happen." Ring Ring batted her eyes again, innocently, bringing her hand up and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. She huffed. 

"Under one condition your royal highny..." she said craftily gazing at Tobe through lowered lashes. "I want ya to call me Princess from now on." 

"Princess?" Tobe echoed in disbelief, he arched an eyebrow. A few of the ninjas snickered to each other. Ring smirked, feeling the weak spot. If she was going to be dragged under Tobe's command, he was definitely going to suffer for it... 

"Yeah, but I want you, and ONLY you to call me that." she said with a nod "And if you don't, our deal is off." this time a few of the ninja's broke out laughing, in strain to control themselves. Tobe looked about ready to kill, glowering at Ring Ring who gazed at him with a cool smile. Finally, he let out a growl... 

"Very well... _Princess_. I expect the job to be done by tomorrow evening." Ring Ring smiled sweetly up at him, running a hand through her blue hair, it seemed to shimmer upon its own accord. 

"You just cool ya jets." she said simply. Then she stood on her tiptoes and planted a quick kiss upon his cheek. Tobe didn't move, his face remained expressionless as he didn't twitch or speak, but Ring Ring seemed satisfied with herself. She stepped back and regarded him for one last time. 

"I'll let ya know when I'm finished with her." she said as she turned on her heel and walked away, her figure fading into the dimness of the canopy. 

"I guarantee ya, Pucca won't have a single unbroken bone in her body by the time I'm done." A wind picked up and then she was gone, leaves enveloping her. All the ninja's watched the spot where she disappeared, simontaniously looked back to Tobe, (who still stood motionless) then broke out into a thunderous laughter. 


	4. Old Lady Jolenta

(I made up Old Lady Jolenta as a sort of OC for this. I would have used Madame Foster, but decided against it. Oh yeah, please excuse my terrible German. I use dictionary dot com for any of the dialogue for the German people. xb) 

--- 

Garu's eyes slowly flickered open. First thing he realized was that he was cold and a bit damp, but there was what felt like a hot water bottle in his lap. He looked down, and saw a dark feline curled in his lap. 

_Mio_

The cat stirred instantly, realizing Garu was now awake. A pair of yellow eyes zipped up to meet his. Garu's heart sank, it wasn't Mio at all; this cat had a white face and larger round eyes. If he had taken a second guess, he would have guessed it was another animal altogether. Maybe a skunk or something? Well it certainly didn't smell like one. 

Groaning and stretching himself, the cat slid off his lap and trotted a little distance away. Reclining on her haunches, she watched him carefully as he made it painfully to his feet. How peculiar the boy was to her, so curious. Why did he look as though he had walked right through a sawmill? She could easily see the pain as he shifted and began to limp away, he was seriously injured. 

"Le mew?" she questioned him as he made his way towards the door. Where could he go in that condition? There wasn't a hospital for miles around! Only she would know, she spent half a week looking for one when she first came here... 

But she wanted to know, being only feline. It was Penelope's tragic flaw, her curiosity, as it was with many cats. She shadowed Garu, then weaved through his legs hopefully, looking up at him. 

As Garu looked down, he wondered how he could have possibly mistaken her for his own. She was mangy, grundgy, and feral looking. Skinny as a mink on gaunt like legs, with tuffs of shedding fur coming off in matted balls. She had fleas too, he realized as he scratched himself. Why on Earth was she staying in here? This was no place for a cat. 

Without giving it much thought, be bent down, wincing slightly at the pain, and scooped little Penelope up and plopped her on his shoulder. For a moment, he felt her claws dig sharply into his skin as she clung to his shoulder, but she soon relaxed as Garu began to walk again. 

Penelope was ecstatic. Where would he take her? To a humane society? Or would he keep her? Oh! She hoped he might keep her, she already liked him as it was. It had been forever since she had been with a human owner, a few years at least. She could remember her first owner, a opulent, persnickety woman who liked to keep her on a leather leash and parade her around town with a pink bow. This person was different though, he was quiet, calm and seemed to be intelligent. She thought about this for a while, looking wistfully over Garu's shoulder towards the receding textile mill, then, like sledgehammer, a new set of questions rammed into her mind. 

What if she was seen? What if her cover was blown? Where would she run too? What if she couldn't find another place to hide? Where would she get food? Where would she sleep? How could she sleep?! Who-?!" 

_No, no... no... no._ She repeated this to herself She squirmed uncomfortably, burying her nose in Garu's hair, though he only chuckled, stroking her. Penelope froze under his fingers, feeling delight swell up as he scratched behind her ears. 

"Le -puurrrrr..." 

Ah... well, maybe exposing herself wasn't too bad. Besides, now she had a bodyguard! Surely she was safer, right? She also was in the middle of Germany in a village that no one on Earth knew about. What could possibly go wrong?! 

---- 

It wasn't exactly the perfect morning to be up and about. To the moment his feet touched the carpet of his hotel room, to where his feet touched the ice cold concrete of the train station, Pepe could not help himself but allow a shiver to race down his spine. The two white stripes that arched gracefully down his back bristled for a moment, but soon, warm and pleasant thoughts coaxed them to lay flat again. 

Mist clung to the Earth in unmoving tents, and total silence muffled the town of Van Heepklin. Most where asleep at this time, hardly anyone was up and about at what could be considered five thirty in the morning. Hardly anyone was brewing coffee for themselves, except for the few who wanted to beat the midmorning rush. No one was there to be asked when the train would be rolling in. No one to make small talk with to ease the tension the skunk felt. 

Though Pepe was hardly ever the one to be with a dampened spirit, this morning he found it somewhat difficult to keep his head as high as usual. Or keep his tail cocked in its natural "S" curve. Or even bring himself to sing a cherry tune, which he normally did if all else failed. He remained as silent as the town for once, still and gazing wistfully into the distance. 

Penelope was an American femme had caught his eye unlike no other. It must have been his seventh try at love, and she would have been his eighth. Penelope, was her name, he had quickly learned, though she didn't speak it herself. She hardly spoke at all, and when she did it was in short squeaks or hisses that he found most utterly amusing and adorable. 

However, as time progressed, he began to realize something wasn't right. Nothing was ever right with the lovers that he choose... 

Penelope hadn't been his first target at first, much to his amusement. His first attempt at a relationship had been with a wild cat, at least twice the size of him which had escaped from the Paris zoo. He recalled how he had tried to woo her but ended up with a broken tail, black eye and frayed fur full of stratch marks. In the end, the cat had volentarily turned herself in back to the zoo, so he could never see her again. Another time he had wound up with a young chiwawa wearing a skunk fur, in which he ended up dressing up as a dog as well, in which he accepted him (it didn't work out that well anyway, the dog fleas where suicide). He was a compleate miniature of his father, who (while married) tried to court to what he beleived was a female skunk, but ended up being a very much distrubed _male_ feline. Penelope, well, she was diffrent though, this was no mistake... 

As that why should he love a foreign species? Well, that was something that he wanted to know. It was like a fish falling in love with a bird. It couldn't happen! Or could it? That was the question. His quest now was to find her. He had to find Penelope. Could a cat and a skunk truly be happy as a couple? And if it was truly one sided, and she had no such feelings for this bond, would he be able to let her go for the sake of her own emotion? Or was there a hurdle in the way she couldn't quite leap? 

Pepe thought about this all very quietly while stroking his chin. It was a miracle that stumbling footsteps broke his stupor. Behind him, a young girl approached, obviously in a hurry because she tripped and nearly fell flat on her face, but caught herself just in time. Laughing nervously, the she smiled and pushed herself to her feet. A pan and a wooden spoon fell out of her backpack, clattering loudly on the platform. As she bent down to get them, Pepe recognized it was the young lady she had met the night before at the counter. 

Stepping forward he picked up the wooden spoon that had skitted toward him, noting wood burns edged into designs upon its handle in Chinese characters. 

"Ah, a chef for ze oreintal cuisine I am guessing, yes?." 

The girl jumped, as if she hadn't seen him before, and smiled mildly, taking the spoon from him as he handed it to her. Pepe smiled back, already enjoying her company. It was always a bit more heartwarming when there was someone to talk to... and heartwarming was always the best medicine for him. 

"I am a chef too you know..." he said after she put away her spoon. "I took classez from ze very "Le Cordon Bleu" in Paris." he smiled wistfully for a moment "Charming place I assure you, but zhey kicked me out after de first semester." he chuckled half heartedly, giving the young girl a saddened look. "I still have no clue why, I was always at ze top of my class." but then he shrugged and shook his head, a grin reappearing. 

"But come, I am being rude ranting zhis nonsense," he took a little step forward toward her and gestured to himself. "Pepe le Pew iz my name." he stopped, then the thought occurred that she may not understand her at all. 

The young girl seemed to catch his drift, and so she stooped to bow at the waist in greeting. It was the way her village usually addressed each other, especially when introduced to people. However, Pepe also had a custom of greeting new people, as they did in France. 

As her face was still lowered to his level, he stepped forward and gave her two bises, or a quick kiss on either cheek on her face. Pucca immediately shot up straight, but then realized it was the consuetude of the French to exchange their greeting in this way. She simply giggled a little, wiping a lock of hair from her face. 

--- 

"Ahhhhhhhhh! Ein Monsteeeeeer!!!!!" a little boy cried as he fled down the path with his plastic to truck bouncing down the dirt path after him. Garu rolled his eyes, not at all slowing his pace. He was hardly a stone throw away from someone who looked as though they stepped right out of the Chain saw Massacre. Most of the blood had stopped flowing by now, but it dried up and made whatever was left of his shirt cling miserably to him, the stitched heart fluttering loosely by a thread. His cut loose hair, caked in both mud and other gunk, stuck out at odd angles. 

He limped slowly down the German village path, looking as though he might bite someone's hand off if they got too close. Another oddity was what looked like a dead skunk draped about his shoulders, for it swayed in perfect balance as he limped. Many looked up from their chores to see him pass. Most where mildly disturbed while others stopped and stared, turning to whisper to each other. 

It was when the two reached the town's plaza when they really began to draw a crowd. Children where pointing fingers at the spectacle and began to giggle to one another. Soon a small circle of children began to form while their parents where not looking, and began to follow Garu's footprints. They pointed and snickered at the sight of Penelope, shrieking and holding their noses and pretending to gag when he came close. Whenever the ninja looked over his shoulder, they all began to laugh at the same time, stopping in their tracks and scattering. 

After a few minutes of his, Penelope opened her yellow eyes slightly, then hissed viciously at a young child who was aiming a home made slingshot at them. Some of them shrieked in fright that the fur was actually alive, while others laughed even louder at her gesture and gathered in closer, even curious than before. It was then Penelope rolled her eyes, turned her backside toward them, and slowly began to lift her tail, most of them stopped in their tracks and their smiles faded. 

"Durchlauf! Sie ist bereit zu gestank wir!" a little girl shouted, and they dispersed into the playground where they suddenly were not interested with the bloody boy and his pet skunk. 

"AAAYY! Junge!" 

A voice from a little, stout woman that was approaching from down the street in quick, deliberate strides. She wore an apron over a knitted shirt, and her white hair was pulled back into a round, tight bun. Her bright eyes where fixed on Garu and Penelope in a face much like an apple as she came forth to them, her small mouth buttoned in a frown. Garu stopped walking and eyed her wearily, and Penelope, knowing there would be a confrontation, tensed and perched on his shoulder like a black and white hawk. 

"Schande auf dir junge!!" she growled at him as she finally reached the pair, frowning profusely. Despite Garu's young age, the old lady must have been at least a foot or two shorter than him. She glared up through furrowed white eyebrows. Then she gestured to Penelope and with her ancient, but powerful voice, she began to shout in a hysterical voice. People really began to notice them now, as the children cackled and pointed to them, the adults gave them sympathetic looks as the woman continued her tirade at Garu, who had no idea what she was talking about and looked at Penelope, bewildered. However, Penelope was just as confused, and shrugged her shoulders helplessly as Garu almost seemed to wither under the old lady's wrath. 

"Dummer junge." 

A tiny hand shot out of the old woman's sleeves and took hold of one of Garu's bloody crusted ears. She pulled him down to her level, and Penelope along with him. Before Garu could react, the old woman was dragging them down the street, muttering angry harangues under her breath he couldn't hear nor understand. As Penelope bobbed up and down on his shoulder, people where beginning to laugh and point at the group as they passed. Whispers to one another became chuckles... Garu had been caught by Old Lady Jolenta. 

--- 

"Oh! Is zhat all?" 

Pucca nodded. Pepe looked meticulously down the list of ingredients... roasted chicken marinated in peanut butter, fresh ginger, soy sauce, and pulled angle hair noodles. He wondered where he could buy them so readily, but it wouldn't be to hard... 

"Zhat sounds wonderful..." 

Pucca and Pepe where both seated on the seven am clock train caboose. It was rattling along peacefully through the country side. The mist had misted, revealing giant, grassy mounds arching from the earth. Van Heepklin was far behind them, and now and again little cottages would appear nestled among some flower beds or embedded in one of mounds of Earth. 

"You made zhis yourself?" 

Pucca nodded again, smiling. 

"Ah... very intelligent madame. Very demiurzic. I love it." 

What was rather Pucca had found the skunk's peculiar smell rather disturbing at first, but as time went on, she realized if she simply breathed through her mouth, it wasn't as bad. Though once in a while she would have to wipe a tear from the corner of her eye from the terrible scent, it was worth it. The creature was so interesting and good willed it seemed, she found that avoiding him for the sake of his stench was downright cruel. 

"So, what iz a wonderful cook such az yourself doing in a humble place such as zhis?" Pepe sat back in his seat across from her, tucking the recipe away for now. Pucca began to dig through her backpack, until she found a small slip of paper resting in a hidden pocket inside. She carefully pulled it out for the skunk and handed it too him, blushing a little. 

Pepe examined the photo carefully. A young boy glared back at him under firm eyebrows, his hair pulled back into a tight do, clothed in all black. The photo was frayed at the ends, and bent in certain places. He could tell that it must had visited many adventures with this young lady. A knowing grin spread across his face as he looked up photo with a slightly raised brow. 

"I'm guessing again... l'mmour?" 

Pucca nodded and looked shyly away for a moment. Pepe's grin broadened. 

"But he iz a handsome fellow too." he glanced down at the photo "And with a charming young woman such az yourself, he must be madly in love with you, no?" 

At this statement however, Pucca's smile faded a little, and her gaze lowered doubtfully. 

"Ah... I see." he said slowly, nodding. "These things tend to happen." he looked down at the photo again, and a curious look came into his eyes. He remained silent for a minute or so. 

"You know, zhis probably sounds ridiculous, but zhis man seems very familiar to me." he said, cocking his head at Pucca, who was flattening out a crease in her kimono. She looked at him curiously. Pepe shrugged his shoulders, but continued, handing the photo back to her. 

"A day or so ago, when I had first arrived here, I was taking a back road in ze country. It was very late out and I was looking for a place to rest when I hear zhis great commotion up ze road. Men shouting, and birds scattering from zhem. So I run up to see what iz zhe matter, and wouldn't you know it!" he gave Pucca a very perplexed and almost terrified look. 

"Men in dark suits where flying around like wasps around a fellow. And zhey had swords! If I wasn't so tired and hungry, I could trust myself to say zhey might be ninjas." 

At this point, Pucca was edged as far as she could go in her seat, watching Pepe with great intensity. Pepe shook his head... 

"I yelled at zhem to stop, but zhey all where attacking zhis small one again and again so quick and fast, zhey didn't hear or see me. Zhen one man came forward and struck him so hard he fell to ze ground and didn't rise. He was raising his sword above his head, and zhat fellow would have been killed right zhere in front of me. But zhen I stepped forward, and zhen I uh... I zhen..." at this point Pepe stopped and rubbed the back of his neck, giving an embarrassed glance to Pucca. 

"I took care of them." he finished, looking almost terrified of his own story. Pucca trembled slightly as she waited on her seat, but then she looked at Pepe pleadingly. He gazed back sadly at her... 

"When I approached the monsieur to help, I could bearly see him in ze dimness. I knew he was wounded badly zho, since he was wheezing terribly and I must have stepped in some of his blood. When the moonlight finally reached his face, it looked just as it did in the photo..." he paused, then added somberly "only it seemed to be ruined with wounds, and his hair was down. When I tried to assist him, he growled at me, then before I could stop him ran away. After zhat, I ran away too since zhose men where still around trying to find me, or maybe zhey didn't even know it was me." he shrugged "I ran all ze way to Van Heepklin, and unwound a little zhere. Zhen I went deeper into town, and after a while went into zhat hotel where I saw you." 

And this time, both fell permanently silent. 

--- 

At this point, Garu thought his ear would fall off at any moment. The old woman dragged him down the country lane, all the while her chastising voice, clearly meant for him, went on and on he soon began to ignore it. He was annoyed, and Penelope, who had stuck with him all this time, seemed rather bewildered and kept staring at Garu as if she expected him to do something. He couldn't, he had no energy left to do anything. Besides, what was the worst an old woman could do? (besides ripping off an ear apparently) 

"Drummer... _drummer_ jundge..." 

With a powerful tug from the old lady, they where now on a tributary path, which was probably an animal path at one point but wore down to dirt and pebbles, packed firm by constant use. Penelope watched as sparrows and mice darted out of the pathway, suddenly feeling rather hungry. The group was being brushed by the leaves of shrubbery which reared up the height of several men then stretched its leafy vines across the pathway, providing a mottled shade. They where rounding a tight circled bend, and suddenly the path widened out under a final arch of foliage... 

"Hier sind wir..." 

Garu lifted his head up just enough to see a small, earth heckled cottage appear forth to them. Yet, he couldn't help but take a sharp breath in, and Penelope too, as a dazzling image surged forth, blinding them... 

Flowers were everywhere, a hazy matrix of dazzling wild blossoms and grasses packed tightly being so overgrown. Neither ninja or feline could doubt the spatacular work was breathtaking, even for a flower garden. Large bees made their way lazily to foxglove to foxglove, their drawling buzzing making Penelope reach out and swipe at one. Their buzzing though was soon overcome by the sound of running water, the sound of a waterwheel. 

It was a mossy old wheel that creaked as it moved beside the stone wall of the house. It was the only part of "house" that could be seen, for the rest was submerged by a hill covered with grass and wildflowers. The wheel gradually churned the dark pool that rested at the side of the house and stretched out a little ways in a shady pond. Then, a small part of it zigzagged sharply through the flowers as a stream, and as Penelope peered closer into the moving water, she glimpsed the fleeting shadows of... 

"Le-fish!!" Penelope meowed happily. She leapt lightly off of Garu's shoulders and darted for the dark pool where the fish scattered in a array of darting colors. The cat always had a weakness for fish, which she absolutely treasured to feast upon. 

Garu watched her helplessly as the old woman continued to drag him towards the little, grassy hobbit hole. It would seem at least one of them would survive the old woman... but Penelope remembered him at last minute and turned to flee back to him. However, they where already at the door, and Old Lady Jolenta had already wrenched open the mossy door by its brass handle and was shoving Garu inside. 

"Innen weitergehen." 

She didn't even see poor Penelope has she ran for the door just seconds after it closed behind her. 

--- 

"Here?" 

"Yes." 

Pepe and Pucca stood side by side on an old country road. Along the gravel sidelines there lay evidence of scrimmage, crimson was splashed along the gravel stones, footprints and signs that bodies had fallen and where perhaps moved. In the air, the musty stench hung heavily, but seem to be no mach for the overwhelming sense of blood. 

"Zhis is horrible." 

They walked along slowly, checking the ditches on either side of the road for anything, though neither of them spoke of what. There was nothing though, just red blood, and tracks. The struggle went on like this for quite a while, then the struggle seemed to cease. 

"Zhe attackers must ave fled." 

Pucca nodded in agreement, following a solitary set of footprints, where a single blood trail dribbled along side. She looked up to the horizon, and could see that this path continued on around the bend and over a high hill. She began to run, slow at first, at a trot, then a jog, then a full out sprint. Pepe was right at her heels, on all fours, easily matching his speed with hers. 

The two ran on in silence for a while, except for the thudding of feet and wind in ears. It wasn't until they reached a railroad track when the blood trail finally faded. Pucca stopped in her tracks and skidded to a halt, Pepe shortly after. She bent down and inspected the ground, hoping to find foot prints, but found none. Frowning, she rubbed the back of her neck, stiffly. This couldn't be a dead end... it just couldn't be! 

"Hey... look over zhere, what iz zhat?" 

Pepe was pointing on the railroad a little way down the tracks. Stuck between one of the boards, there was a metallic glint that reflected a bit of light. Pucca recognized it immediately. 

It was Garu's sword. 

Pucca cried out and bolted for it. Garu never parted with his sword, she had never known him too. It was always with him even when he ate, went on a casual stroll, it was right next to him when he slept, she could only guess where he put it when he went to the bathroom. This only further confirmed how injured he must be to leave it behind and continue on without it. Oh, why, WHY couldn't she had been there? Why...? 

As she picked up the sword, she found its blade was soiled in bright patterns of red. She wiped off the dry blood in the folds of her kimono and fought back a frustrated howl of anger. Tobe, that Tobe, she was going to kill him next chance she had. Up ahead, the tracks lead on into an oblivion of shrubbery and plantation, where weeds overgrew the track itself. Over the treetops, a large building loomed, overshadowing the sky and clouds. That's where Garu must had been headed, that's where she must go... 

But as she started forward, she felt a tug at her sleeve and she looked over her shoulder at her friend, who still stood motionless. His dismal eyes seemed to be blank, stunned, like a young child who has just witnessed a suicide. His gaze lifted to hers and he spoke in a very soft voice. 

"I'm sorry my friend, but I cannot journey with you any longer." Pucca turned to face him he shook his head gently "Zhe path zhat you follow is not for me, and like you, I am also seeking someone zhat I care for." 

Pucca watched him in silence, feeling her already dampened spirit sink even lower than before. Pepe however smiled warmly in encouragement. Pucca kneeled down and hugged him in farewell, ignoring the smell that raced up her nose. When she pulled away, she wasn't sure if the tears in her eyes where from the his stench, or from sorrow. 

Pepe placed one paw on her shoulder. 

"I know you vill find him." 

--- 

Penelope was desperate. She ran from window to window of the tiny cottage, rapping on the glass with her paws furiously and yowling as loud as her vocal chords would allow her. She lost sight of Garu, as mud had run down from the roof and dried on the panes, she couldn't see in the house. All she knew was that she was trapped outside, unprotected and very much alone. 

As she raced around the house, upsetting a a good deal of birds and insects, scattering them into the air from the flowers. She kept attacking the house at full tilt, hoping that Garu would be able to hear her from outside. Round and round she went, almost rabid like, cherry bombs seeming to go off in her head. It was just when she had raced over the stream for the third time when something tripped her up and her vision doubled as she fell flat on her nose. She lay flat on her chest and coughed for air, with a mouth full of dirt, she pushed herself up again, exhausted, gasping for breath, her nose throbbing profusely. 

It was then, while brushing herself, she glanced at the ground where she had crushed some flowers. She realized that she was standing in someone's shadow. She stared at the shadow cast over her, her pulse accelerated ten fold and her throat tightened, she spun around, ready to face--- 

... a little, black... cat... 

"You need to calm down ma'am." it said, tilting its head at her concernment. "Your waking up the entire Eastern side of Germany." 

The other feline was recumbent on his haunches, with black, glossy fur that ran over a noticeably muscular frame. His eyes where a bright lemon, but the pupils where dilated nearly twice their normal size. One thing that Penelope noticed right away though, is that he wasn't looking directly at her, but slightly to the side. 

"I'm sorry I ran into you like that," he continued apologetically while Penelope smoothed down her fur in a hurry... 

"I'm not normally so clumsy. My vision hasn't been the best recently... so I uh..." he stopped talking when he noticed Penelope wasn't listening. She looked extremely uncomfortable, for her heartbeat wasn't slowing down as fast as she would have liked. She was also very uneasy now, and didn't want to stay in the same spot. Not to mention she was flustered and embarrassed in front of this rather dashing male, and didn't quite know what to say to him as she picked herself up and rubbed her stubbed nose... Deciding that she'd rather just take a hike then to embarrass herself further. She picked up a brisk trot, raising her tail high up in the air like a periscope and trotting down one of the conveniently placed garden paths. 

"Look I'm sorry to bother you, but, have you seen a boy around here?" 

Embarrassment would not leave her alone as the strange cat followed her down the garden path, trying to keep up with her, though she could hear him tripping over rocks and pebbles here and there behind her. She glanced over her shoulder, but didn't say anything. She was just only beginning to focus on his words rather than her own nervous thoughts... 

"He's about, older kitten maybe, with black hair that are up in pigtails, widespread eyes and thick eyebrows. He's taken a silence oath, so he never speaks, and he is dressed in all black with a red heart on his suit..." 

A heart on his suit? At this, Penelope halted and the cat bumped into her and nearly knocked her over. 

"Geez I'm sorry!" he apologized again, backing up and swishing his tail, giving them space. Penelope was gazing at him with new found interest. Did this cat know the boy she had been traveling with? Well, his description of him wasn't the best, but she remembered the little heart symbol that had been haphazardly stitched into the boys shirt. 

"Look, I just heard a lot of other alley cats that he came this direction with some skunk or something, if you could point me in the direction... I'll be on my way." 

Penelope blinked. Sighing... she nodded to the little earthy home to indicate where she thought the boy might be, but then remembering that the cat had poor vision and probably couldn't see her gesture, sighed deeper and mustered up to speak. 

"He's, he's in the cottage." 

"Oh." then "Have any idea how we can get in without setting off an alarm?" 

"I don't think this place has an alarm." said Penelope. 

They stood there, gazing hopelessly at the cottage while bees buzzed around them and the water wheel continued to turn slowly. After a while, the black cat broke the doldrum... 

"So, what's your name, o' shy one?" 

"Penelope." 

"Well, looks like you and me might be stuck out here a while Penelope." said the cat with a heavy suspire. 

"By the way, my name is Mio." 


	5. Kidnapped, Cattrapped, Pinslapped

OOC: UM... I forgot to add something in the conclusion of the last chapter, so I have to put it at the beginning of this one. It's kinda out of place... Later I'll move it back so the transition is more smooth... That's why the last chapter seemed so short/slow... and this one so loooong ... sorry D:

This chapter is sorta... on crack. I'm not sure what I was thinking of when I wrote it. (Though stayed up till 4 O clock in the morning working on it, so that's probably why it has so many mistakes. I'll try and fix em later, but I have PROMISE to someone that I would upload it within a weak.

It has a little language... sorry. It also has a fight scene (yay) but no romance yet. Next chapter there will be... yus.

Oh, as a side note, I didn't make up the Cat Clan. Or their names, look it up in Wikipedia, they're actual characters in Pucca, just not major ones.

--

Rust and broken glass crunched under Pucca's shoes. It was dank, dark, and depressing, and she couldn't imagine why Garu might have decided to shelter here. She had lost his trail shortly after she had slunk under the chain link fence, and now she was on a complete goose chase, picking her way through forgotten, clockwork machinery. It didn't helped that she kept on thinking she had seen Garu's face staring from each shadowy corner. One could very well go mentally insane in here if they stayed more than a day.

It was when she was on her way back to the entrance where she finally found her clue. Her foot had bumped against an empty bottle, which she picked up and read: Shampooing Félin'. Next to it was a little wash bucket, still filled with gray water, nest to that little sink scrub brush, and what looked like a infant's blanket. It was as though something small had been bathing itself here.

What was even more curious, tiny paw prints, feline at that, pranced around in nervous circles in the powdery rust. Her eyes followed their maddening patterns until they stopped near a crumbling wall, then her heart momentarily paused. A larger person had been sitting just in the corner, she could see the shape embedded into the rust. She knelt down and ran her fingers over the track, finding blood stains nearby. Her fingers met something soft, and she picked it up. It was a scrap of cloth, a heart shaped cloth no bigger than her palm, the heart that was patched on Garu's ninja suit. He had been here, and recently. She pocketed the cloth in her hakama, looking to where the paw prints and boots lead...

"Awww, does wittle Peucke wanna see her boyfweeiind?"

Pucca spun round, clutching Garu's sword in front of her, her eyes strained to find the speaker in the darkness, biting her lip and holding her breath. She knew the voice, but for a moment, she wondered if she had merely imagined it. After all, this was a mad place after all.

Though, materializing from the shadows, a perfect hourglass figure swayed with hands on hips. Pink, high heeled pumps made sharp tack on the ground that echoed around the mill, lustrous blue hair tumbled past her shoulders. Clothed in the most flattering attire possible, Pucca was even surprised to find herself blushing. She lifted her sword above her head and tensed, into a battle stance. RingRing's eyes seemed to glow a daemonic red, as she approached her enemy without falter, a twisted little smile curling her lip.

"Hello sweetie." she purred, then lunged.

--

"So what do you do? Fight crime?"

"Sort of. You'd be surprised of how much trouble we get in our tiny village."

Two cats strutted calmly down the street. Penelope, for perhaps the first time in months, was laughing. It seemed that Mio had an extremely unlucky streak to his life, something she could empathize with. He proclaimed that he was a well trained ninja, just like Garu.

"So what, you do catfu?" she was asking. Mio was serious, but loosened up quick when they began to talk. He seemed to pride himself in entertaining her.

"Well, if that's how you Americans put it... I can also do a mean feline jutsu..." Mio struck a bravado pose.

"Right."

"Oh what, you don't believe me?"

"If you're really ninja, then prove it." she prompted, and they stopped trotting. Mio looked cocky for a moment at her remark, then cleared his throat and threw his chest out.

"Ok then, better stand back." Penelope did so, although she eyed him in amusement. The black cat flexed himself testily, first his front end, then his legs and unfurling his tail. He flexed each of his claws experimentally. Then he paused for a moment, throwing a smirk at Penelope, and simply vanished.

At first, Penelope wasn't sure what had happened, her amused smile had faded as she inspected at the spot where he had just been.

"Mio?" she called tentevily. There was no answer, only the cawing of a rook overhead. She cocked an ear, not moving a muscle. There was not a stir in the wind, not at all. Though, something was making her increasingly uneasy, as if she where being watched from behind. Her fur prickled restively, the white stripe expanded twice it's size.

In the quiet there was a twig that snapped behind her, and she spun around on the spot. A leafy wall of foliage faced her, filled with ominous shadows and thorns. Perhaps Mio was really just quick, and while she had blinked, and he somehow found his way into the bushes without her knowing. It seemed far fetched, but she had to believe it...

"Mio? I think I believe you now." she was saying as she turned her attention to the shrubbery. However, there came no reply from the leaves. There was, a presence however, hidden there, silently watching, and Penelope's fur bristled even higher on her back. She took a pendulous step forward, her ears flicked back against her head.

"Please," she said meekly "please... come out and let me see you... "

"ALLRIGHT! all right! You caught me." Penelope's breath was coming out in all sorts of erratic variations as she spun on her toes... Mio had appeared behind her, a lopsided grin on his face, he dusted off a few stray leaves from his fur. "You looked too pathetic to keep waiting like that..." Though he quickly noticed Penelope's distress, his grin faded.

"What's wrong? Why, it looks like you've eaten some of Uncle Dumpling's Dragon Pepper Ramen..."

"Wha- where... you?" she shilly-shallied "I... could... couldn't see you..."

"Well, of course you didn't, I was up in the tree!" Mio puffed up his chest a little, something about Penelope's tone set him off a little. He watched her look up above to the tree where he had been crouching only moments before. Something was odd about her, something Mio couldn't quite settle with in those large, yellow eyes...

"Are you? I mean..." he shrugged his shoulders... "Is there something bothering you?" Penelope stared at Mio for a good few seconds, and then her eyes softened... she began to laugh.

"Me? Are you kidding? I'm fine! No..." she took a few steps forward and prodded him playfully in the shoulder. "I've never felt better... now that I am under the protection of a ninja."

There where a few passing moments that the two cats stood and simply regarded each other. Penelope's words skipped pointlessly around in Mio's head inow that I know I'm under the protection of a ninja.../i protected from what? Gradually, Mio touched noses with her. He felt content, well mostly... charming as Penelope was, he was beginning to get the impression that she didn't get out much.

"You think we should check up on that crazy old lady?" he invited.

"Probably."

They started back down the path, but once she was a little behind her companion, Penelope shot a backwards glance into the bushes she had been staring into earlier, where she had felt someone watching her. Her expression was unsettled, confused, but it was soon lost though as she trotted to catch up with her friend.

--

Pucca served forward with the katana, aiming the double edged blade towards Ring Ring's long, flowing hair. RingRing's face had turned a stunning, bloody crimson, eyelashes elongating over her fierce red eyes, filled with rage and hate. Her red lips were pulled back into a sneer, her perfect white teeth seemed to resemble the fangs of a wolf. With one swift movement she had knocked Pucca's weapon away.

"Ya 'lil maggot!" she flouted. "Fight me like a woman, hand ta hand combat and nunna of this sword swinging' crap." She raised her arms, with nails, filed sharp as knives, struck her hard in the face. The force in her blow was stunning, but Pucca regained her balance, but before she could reach up to strike a blow of her own, Ring had landed two more blows on her face, knocking her backwards. Soon, she felt her enemies nails swipe with reckless abandon at her upstretched arms, trying to defend her countenance. She heard Ring laugh through the swinging and gouging, ripping the fabric of Pucca's sleeves into ribbons. With a swift move, Pucca plunged to the floor and swung her foot out hard against Rings ankles, causing her to drop and hit the floor.

Without a moments delay, Pucca seized her and threw her into one of the textile machines nearby. In the resulting crash Ring disappeared into a pile of twisted metal and flying rust. Panting, Pucca darted to the sword that had been tossed aside and swung it over her shoulder. Then she hastened towards the entrance, but something caught her foot in mid run and she tripped and hit the floor, hard.

She looked behind her and found that her foot had been snagged by a long, blue tendril of hair. It quickly constricted her ankle, seeming intent on breaking every bone in her leg. To where the other end of the hair stretched, their came movement and shifting of metal, grunting and cussing as RingRing attempted to free herself from the ruble. The hair's grip grew as it began to wind up her leg, fastening its grip on her. Bringing the blade over her head, Pucca swung her sword down on it, severing it on the spot. As soon as the blue fibers where sheered, their came a terrible, ear piercing scream.

Pucca got up and ran, but she was bearly fast enough. The walls shook with the force of Ring Rings howl, the mills walls wobbled on their ancient foundations. Debris began to fall from all directions, beams, doors, bricks, windows shattered and old equipment fell like dominos on top of each other. Rust rose everywhere, clouding the horrendous scene, and the noise was almighty. Above all, Ring Ring's voice grew ever louder and steady, until it reached an all time high, (any professional musician would have remarked she was singing a high C sharp).

The entrance to the mill was lost from her gaze, Pucca strained to focus on where she thought it was, but had trouble concentrating... the high C sharp vibrated her skull, vibrated her brain. She thought her head was going to explode. Something sharp fell on her arm and cut her. Using the sword as a walking stick, she continued onward blindly, as the shriek became ever louder and clearer. With tremendous effort, Pucca ran into one of the walls, and felt her way along it, searching for a handle for door...

"BITCH!"

Something crashed above her and sent her bolting, a large hurled object aimed promptly for her head was blasted to thousands of wood and metal splinters. She ran, risking the chance that she might get impaled by machinery she couldn't see, as more explosions erupted behind her, she realized that RingRing had freed herself and had found her...

"You messed up my HAIR!" her shriek echoed down the hall as Pucca dashed along it, her hair ruffled as what looked like a metal piano whizzed past her ears. It crashed in front of her, but she took a running start and sailed over it. Ahead, the rust was beginning to reminisce, and she could see the hallway lead into an expanded room. As soon as she met the doorway, she spun and slammed the heavy metal doors shut and barred it with a nearby fallen pipe. She doubted it would stop RingRing, but any source of her delay was what she needed. Inspecting the room, there where metal pillars stretched into the high ceiling where metal support beams became a wild, tangled mesh. Getting an idea, Pucca bounded to the closest wall, grabbing onto the crevices of the crumbled bricks and clambered her way up to the top. It was just in time, for as soon as she reached the metal beams their came a almighty crash behind her. Her enemy had battered down the iron doors and now stood in the archway, tendrils of rust cloud circling her.

Pucca, as quickly and as quietly as she could, slipped along the metal beams, weaving in and out of places, finding a suitable resting spot in the shadow of a support beam. She squatted, clutching the sword to her breast. She didn't want to waste her time fighting her antagonist, she had to get out of here, and fast.

Below, RingRing surveyed the scene... she looked completely different than she did before. No longer did she resemble a damsel of elegance, wit and power. No, her hair had come undone, and moved in a snakelike manner, tentacles of air swaying this way and that for something to strike at. Her face had acquired vibrant red markings, contorted in rage... she was still beautiful, but now, in a wild and uncontrollable way. Like feminine medusa, she slowly made her way through the room, her pumps cracking fallen glass.

"Ya'know... I'm surprised at ya Princess..." she was saying as she stalked "Why suddenly no spine?" Pucca, in her hiding place, listened, trying to calm her breath. There where no more doors leading out of the room, and no more windows. Perhaps she could smash through a wall?

"I think it's because your a coward." smirked Ring, her eyes scanned the room for any movement, but all was still. So she began to check behind equipment, using her hair to feel their way underneath and around them...

"Ya'know you will loose against me, don't ya? And your afraid because a'that..." Pucca was listening, but not at the same time. Ring was trying to make her mad, so she could come out to fight her, but it wouldn't work. Pucca wasn't a coward, but Ring was not worth fighting on Garu's cause...

"Look kiddo, I know why yah here," came RingRing again, she was directly below Pucca. She made no reply, Pucca was always short of words, perhaps it was because she admired how Garu always managed to express himself without verbal language. Just thinking about him made her reach into her hackama and pull out the torn heart. Absent mindedly, she began to tie the threads to the hilt of the sword.

"I know where your little boyfriend is." said RingRing again "He's been torn to near ribbons, but somehow managed to drag himself here. You've been lookin' for him, I know, because I watched you comin' up the tracks... he's around here somewhere, in this city, hiding, like some scared mangy dog..."

And that was the sentence she spoke. RingRing had no time to react as Pucca streamlined down upon her from above, smashing her deep into the ground. Stalagmites of concrete rose up from the pavement from the force of the blow. RingRing found her opponent on top of her, and looked more red in the face than she was. She held Garu's blade to her neck, breathing heavily. She was mad, she always was so defensive when someone insulted Garu. RingRing found it pathetic...

RingRing cooed cynically, and with a twist of her head, her hair knocked Pucca off of her and onto the ground, though she immediately found her footing and sprang to meet her again, the katana blade point poised at her head. RingRing whipped her hair around in a vicious whirlwind of blue, smashing everything around them, but failing to reach her antagonist as she dodged between the long braids. Pucca slashed the blade left and right with blinding speed, severing locks of hair, where they then fell like writhing, blue leeches, to the ground.

RingRing flung herself upside down into the air, rounding off to kick Pucca in the jaw, but Pucca counteracted and flipped sideways, twisting in midair and landing just out of reach of RingRing's heel. Not expecting the same move twice though, Pucca was cuffed by the edge of RingRing's heel when she back flipped again, only faster and while Pucca was still regaining her footing. Pucca fell sideways, but sprang forward on the momentum that was expended on her, managing to clash into RingRing again, sending her backwards, their bodies suddenly going into an ecstatic rage to separate themselves again.

Neither of them would back down.

The two enemies fought, their graceful movements blurred in fury and with flying miscellaneous flying objects, where making more of a racket than they realized. The factory in which they where in could only take so much stress, (after all, it was over a half century old), and it physically, and literally, swayed, very slowly, to one side. Banshee screams and deafening collapsing of machinery, grew ever louder and more intense. A young boy, a child probably of ten or eleven stopped near the chain link fence near the factory. He stopped to listen to the ruckus with his little dog cocked his ear at the pipes and pieces of machinery that where flying out of the factory's windows.

After what seemed hours... and most likely was... there came the most deafening crash of all. A giant, almighty crash that shook the very ground that the boy stood on. The remaining birds that had not already took off during the racket of the fight flew off, cawing, screeching in alarm. Then, abrupt silence. The noises from inside the textile factory had ceased altogether. Except, no, the last remaining window that hadn't already shattered suddenly exploded. A long sword was flung out of it with an inhuman force. It landed a few yards away from the boy in the long grass, just on the other side of the fence. The boy and his dog looked at each other nervously. There was complete silence. Carefully, and cautiously, the boy crawled under the chain link fence and reached for the katana. It was sleek and long, but it was soiled with blood, and had a little cloth heart tied to it. At first the boy was afraid to touch it, but curiosity got the better of him and he picked it up, hardly believing his luck.

Then, there came a laugh. A long, quiet, haughty, laugh that rose higher and higher until it reached a malicious peak. The boy looked up from the sword and cowered back, his dog yipped anxiously. Immediately Herman - for that was the little boys name - rolled back under the fence. The voice from inside the building crowed with triumph in such a shriek that the little boy and his dog turned and fled back down the railroad tracks, not once looking back.

--

"Ring Ring, are you there?"

_**Psssht.**_

"Ring Ring, are you there? Come in!"

_"You've got to use the name master."_

_"Yes master, you must use the name!"_

"Shut up! I know what I'm doing!"

**_Psssht._**

"Eruh... Princess?"

_**Psssht.**_

"Yeeeeees?"

"What's your status?"

"I've got your goylie, whad else do ya want from me?"

_**Psssht.**_

"Nothing, nothing at all... just stay where you are and we'll take it from there."

"You've got her boyfriend yet?"

"No, not yet..."

"Well HURRY UP! He's not gonna sit around waiting for a yutz like you!"

**_Psssht._**

"Oh don't worry, we're on his trail. Three of our spies spotted his cat running around with some flea-bitten skunk. We're following them up."

"Whatzatt? A skunk?"

"Yes. A skunk. Apparently Mio is flirting with a young, female skunk."

"Goish I hate doez thingz."

"They smell."

"Well DOI."

_Phhsssht._

"Where are you right now?"

"At some old factory on the East side. Don' bother lookin' for me though, cauz I'm gonna move. I made too much noise, and plus I need to wash my hair, I've got blood in it."

"Where will you go?"

"How the hellz am I supposed to know? Not many people will check in a murderer at a saloon."

_**Phsssht**_.

"You murdered Pucca? ALREADY?!"

"Uh, well no, not quite."

_Phssst._

...

"Are you there hun?"

_**Phsst.**_

"Yeah, sorry, I got distracted. I believe Someone just insulted me in French and I'm trying to figure out who it is."

"Well, good luck with that. I'll be see'in ya soon."

"Over and out."

--

Garu was not in the best of moods. How in he managed to end up in the nude, in a bathtub filled with what looked and felt like animal lard, he hardly any idea. The old lady seemed to be treating him like a five year old child. She had wrestled him into the bathroom with surprising strength, where he stood helpless as she brought out can after can of an unknown substance that smelled like fish paste, and dumped it into the tub.

The hot cuts and sores all over his body now seemed numbed by the cool substance. Finally, he decided, it was some sort of medicine that the lady was dumping on him. Some strange, disguisting, pulpy ointment...

So he had sat there, for some hours, sulking, in the white, pasty muck until the old lady had yelled at him to get out and clean himself up. At least, that's what Garu thought she had meant when she yelled from outside of the bathroom door. You see, since she spoke German, he obviously couldn't comprehend what she meant by... "von wo dieses Blut ist..."

What he didn't know, is that the old Lady wasn't talking to Garu at all. In fact, she was addressing another boy who had just made his appearance. Beside him was his little dog, barking frantically. The boy, Herman, was wide eyed and breathing hard as he hurtled past the old woman, who happened to be his grandmother. However, she caught him by the scruff of his neck, yanking him back. She began to yell at him passionately, and for good reason, for the boy was carrying a sword, which he quickly dropped to the ground at his feet. It was covered in blood.

It was at this point Garu stuck his head out, groggy and half dressed. He had washed the white cream completely off of himself, but he was still covered in bloody cuts and bruises, and looked quite grotesque.

As soon as Herman saw him he screamed, Garu slammed the door shut again.

While Old Lady Jolenta wrestled her grandson into his room, Mio and Penelope, who had just returned from their walk, scampered up the steps and into the house. (The door had been left open by Herman, who had forgotten to shut it in his panic)

Penelope scampered to push it shut until she heard the lock click. She looked back to Mio and gestured for him to come over, her yellow eyes where wide and timorous.

"Look, I think we're being followed." she said as he came close. She spoke in a hushed whisper

"Followed?" Mio repeated. He kept his voice low as well, even though he didn't know why he needed to.

"Yeah. Back when you climbed the tree, I felt like someone was watching from the bushes." said Penelope nervously. "I didn't want to tell you just then, just in case it was just my imagination. Then I felt as though it where following us all the way back to the house!"Mio looked at her with suspicion and interest.

"Why didn't you tell me this before?"

"I was afraid to! What if whoever was following us understood our language? They could have attacked us." Mio was silent in befuddlement. Penelope persisted, with her huge yellow eyes.

"Is there anyone that has it out for you? That wants to hurt you I mean?" Mio could see her shifting paws, one right after another. He wasn't able to decide whether to heed her warning or to dismiss it as a part of her paranoia, which she seemed to have a lot of.

"I suppose." he said. "I doubt that they're here in Germany though." already he could see Penelope's eyes expand... "Look, we're a long way from home. There's no way that they'd follow us here, and even if they did-"

But Mio was caught off. There was a soft scratching was coming from behind them... both the cats looked around in alarm, but there was no one there. The sound was coming from behind the closed door leading outside. It sounded as though as someone was softly dragging a nail down a chalkboard. Penelope's hair stood on end, Mio stood up and arched his back, unsure of what to do.

Then they heard a very audible, feline yowl. Mio flinched.

"I know that voice." he whispered.

"What? Who is it?"

Mio turned to Penelope. "I guess you where right. We were being followed," and he looked quite shaken, "...by the Cat Clan."

"Cat Clan?"questioned Penelope, panicked even though she had no clue who they were.

"Yes. Go find Garu, get him out here and then we have to leave right away. I'm going to guard the door if they decide to break through." Penelope nodded and took off into the house.

The Cat Clan were well known to be Mio's arch enemies. Famous feigns of the feline franchise. The three of them, Brutus, Socrates, and Napoleon, where a rough gang of cats that liked to harass him with just about everything. But the reason Mio hated them most of all was the fact they they were infatuated with someone he had deep interest in, a feminine feline named Yanni...

What worried him most is that they had followed him here. The Cat Clan was famous for their petty crimes, mostly stealing and vandalism. Although, what could possibly bring their mischief to Germany? He didn't know, and he wasn't sure he wanted to find out. As he crouched at the doorway he could year the high pitched yowls behind the door become more agitated. They wanted to get in... and he could just hear their conversation through the other side... he stepped forward and pressed his ear to the door...

_"What if that wasn't him?"_

_"It was him, I swear it was. And even if it wasn't, we know that Garu's other pet is there." _

_"What other pet?"_

_"The skunk you dummy! You looked at her square in the eyes earlier! Garu was spotted with a skunk earlier, frightened a bunch of kids. That definitely HAD to be the skunk they'd been talkin' about." _

_"Whadda we do?"_

_"Break down the door. Tie and gag our targets without anyone noticin', then the human ninja's will come in later, and take care of Garu."_

_"Why not visa versa? It seems more practical to get rid of Garu first, then Mio."_

_"Because... you moron, then we'd have to fight Garu, and the human ninja's would have to fight Mio. I'd be stupid for us to fight a human when we're cats and humans to fight cats when they're human."_

_"Oh... ok. You've always been the smartest."  
_

_"So then what happens, when the job is done?"  
_

_"If we're lucky, we'll all get on the house kitty treats and a belly rub."_

Meanwhile... Garu had reemerged from the bathroom, fully clothed this time, not in his normal ninja suit, but something that he found suitable in the bathroom. Black pants, long black shirt, and a black sweatshirt to top. He'd dressed his wounds with bandages quite tightly, the wrappings coming down his arms and legs, but allowing movement for his feet and hands. He had made his way to the living room, for being quite hungry, he'd smelt the aromas of food permeating throughout the house. With the old lady gone, (he could hear her at the other end of the house somewhere, yelling), he couldn't allow himself not to eat. He hadn't had any food in a day or so.

With a small plate had helped himself to some beef, biscuits, some sausage and even sauerkraut. However, when it came to eating it, he paused. Usually he would have reached for his chopsticks, but there were none. Garu eyed the fork and knife suspiciously at first, but he was too hungry to complain. He stabbed his sausage and ate voraciously, for the first time in a while, he was beginning to feel a little better.

As he ate, his mind began to wander. Perhaps after this he could get a nights sleep (for he was rather tired) and begin to head off the next day. Already, with food, he was feeling stronger. The loss of blood that he had had. The only thing he began to think about was what about the village, and what would Tobe be doing once he went back there... he could only imagine. He wondered what people would be saying about him, if they thought he was dead. He worried about Mio... who he had left practically stranded.

... and Pucca, Garu thought about her as well. He wondered what she might be doing right now, if she was worried about him... well no there was no DOUBT she was worried about him. She was probably looking for him, the poor thing. She'd never find him.

...and that was when Penelope stumbled into the room.

At first Garu didn't notice her when she meowed at him, he was so deep in thought, but upon the second he looked up. Penelope was staring at him, wild eyed, which startled him, for he had forgotten completely about her. After the two watched each other for a moment, Garu called to her softly, offering his hand close to the ground. She didn't budge however, she merely meowed louder.

Something seemed amiss.

Quickly shoveling the rest of the food into his mouth, he got up and approached her, but she quickly turned around and darted down the hallway. Then she stopped and looked back, and meowed again, persistently. Garu, beginning to catch on, followed.

Mio was waiting for them at the entrance to the house. The scratching at the door had escalated to vicious pounding, and the door looked as though it was about to burst open at any second.

Then several things happened at once.

First, Garu spotted Mio, and his initial reaction was to run forward to greet him, but then he spotted his bloody sword on the ground, and instantly became confused (for he knew that Mio wouldn't be able to carry a sword by himself). Then, the door to the house suddenly cracked and blew inward, crashing loudly to the floor. Because of this Penelope jumped nearly ten feet backward, and as a result landed in the Old Lady's arms, who, throughout all of the ruckus, had decided to investigate what was going on. Then from outside three cats flung themselves into the house, hissing and spitting, hackles raised, and their narrowed eyes fixed on Mio.

A moment later, all hell broke loose.

--

Now poor Pepe le Pew, he was completely oblivious to what was going on. After he had left Pucca at the railroad tracks he had backtracked to the spot where he had first had the strange encounter with the many men. It wasn't too often he got distracted from something so important as love, but mystery was also another thing that intrigued him. As some say, romance and enigmas often go hand and hand at times.

This was one of those times.

Pepe was beginning to form a pretty good conscious at this point, and it was telling him that he should still try to help the man he had tried to save that one night. It would be difficult to find him,

"But since when was anything easy?" he had mentioned to himself.

And that is when he began tracking (which was something he was rather good at) with the prints that the men had left in the dirt. It started out quite hard, because it seemed like the men had vaporized into thin air. It took him a moment to sort it all out, ninjas wouldn't remain on a road after being knocked out so embarrassingly. No, they would take the scenic route, no? He looked into the nearby woods, which seemed to him as just a friendly place as anything else.

Then he noticed that some weeds nearby were broken and snapped, as if someone had stepped (or fallen) on them. As he inspected them, he noticed that another patch of weeds a little further away seemed wounded as well, so he went over there to make sure. And indeed, almost as soon as he reached that strange track, he found yet more clues, a broken log here in the grass, where someone's foot may have been. A scratch mark in a tree there, where a sharp weapon may have nicked it. The most obvious clue was a jump rope carelessly strewn on a branch nearby. The skunk was soon strutting to spot to spot, quite casually, pausing once in a while to inspect a clue, only to resume on the path that Tobe and his henchmen left behind. Pepe soon found that he could retake his earlier statement... this was easy, almost too easy. The sun was setting, and even in the darker light he could find his way. Either he was an expert at stalking and following people who didn't want to be found (which he was, but that isn't the point) or the people he was following were complete idiots (which, by all means, were, but that's not the point either).

Pepe had long left sight of the road and was making his merry ever deeper into the wood, although he was not quite as merry as he would have liked to have been. It would have been more cheerful with some company, at least. He was just thinking about how nice it would have been with someone to talk to, when he began to hear voices ahead of him.

Noisy, routy laughter. Booing, guffawing, sneezing, coughing, and all sorts of obnoxious noises came from up ahead. Pepe approached cautiously, taking a shady route to a little clearing ahead. He could see a little fire through the leaves of a thicket, a group of men in suits huddled around it, poking the coals with boredom. He slipped closer, taking care to his stealth, (he could only hope that he was coming down wind to them) and took a closer look at their faces. They looked like the same men he had unleashed his horror to earlier, but who could tell? It was dark then.

Then he heard a voice... a loud, authoritative voice. Not far away from the bored looking men was yet another man, dressed in a ridiculous violet looking suit. He paced back and forth across in a line, excited. There was a little worn path now were he had been pacing.

"...just stay where you are and we'll take it from here." The skunk leaned in closer to listen. The man was talking on a walkie talkie, he held it close to his mouth.

"No... not yet..." the man began, then there came a thunderous voice from the other end. A woman's voice, with a New Jersey accent

"Well HURRY UP! He's not gonna sit around waiting for a yutz like you!" she was so loud that it startled a few of the ninjas, or at least woke them up from their naps. The purple ninja held the walkie talkie away from his face and screwed up his eyes. When she was finished he let out an insidious chuckle.

"Oh don't worry," he said as the other ninjas watched him with vacant expressions. Pepe had found interest in one who was picking his ear, and another who was picking his nose. How egregious. "we're on his trail. Three of our spies spotted his cat running around with some flea-bitten skunk. We're following them up."

That caught Pepe's attention.

"Whatzatt? A skunk?" came the voice from the other end, which sounded skeptical. Pepe could see Tobe shrugging. He seemed as uninterested in the matter as Pepe was concerned.

"Yes. A skunk. Apparently Mio is flirting with a young, female skunk." Pepe thought he heard his heart slam point first into a concrete wall.

"Goish I hate doez thingz."

"They smell."

"Well DOI."

"Where are you right now?"

"At some old factory on the East side. Don' bother lookin' for me though, cauz I'm gonna move. I made too much noise, and plus I need to wash my hair, I've got blood in it." Pepe was becoming more alarmed by the second. There was only one old factory that he knew of, that was the one he had seen Pucca going towards... that had to be the same girl they were speaking of.

"Where will you go?"

"How the hellz am I supposed to know?" came the angry voice, which was beginning to become annoying. "Not many people will check in a murderer at a saloon." both Pepe and Tobe flinched, the ninja nearly screamed into the walkie talkie.

"You murdered Pucca? ALREADY?!"

It was the last part of Tobe's statement that did it. The urge of bursting out of the bushes and tackling the man with the walkie talkie and forcing it down his throat finally got the better of Pepe. He cupped his hand to his mouth and bellowed

"VOUS MÉTIS!" which meant something like "YOU MONGREL!" in French. However, the initial reaction of all the ninja's made him hang back. All of the nearby henchmen jumped a foot in the air, even though they had been sitting or even sleeping. A few cried out in fright, one tripped over another and fell into the fire, sending a shower of sparks onto the surrounding ninjas, only furthering the outburst of panic. Tobe seemed the most bewildered of all, he seemed to believe that one of his henchmen ninjas had suddenly became bilingual. He faced them all for a moment, but the only few ninjas that noticed him only stared dumbly back. He soon turned back to the walkie talkie without concern for the few ninjas trying to put out a fire that had erupted in one of their comrades hair.

"Yeah, sorry, I got distracted." he muttered in a more private, but an obviously befuddled tone. Pepe had begun to inch closer to him, away from the spot he had shouted from. "I believe someone just insulted me in French and I'm trying to figure out who it is."

"Well, good luck with that." came the other voice. "I'll be see'in ya soon."

"Over and out."

Then Tobe stood up and looked to his ninjas, who were paying absolutely no attention whatsoever. This is going to be tricky', Pepe thought. No choice, he would have to follow the troop closely now if he ever wanted to find Garu, or ianyone else/i for that matter.

"All right, whoever wise guy is who thinks he can speak French can go and and sit on a pin." barked Tobe. "Meanwhile, I've got to go and pick up the remainders of Garu, now that I know where he is hiding." he looked around "who will come with me?"(No volunteers stepped forward)

"Fine then you're all coming." Tobe grunted sourly. He turned and pointed into the forest wall, which Pepe only assumed was the direction they where now headed, the henchmen finally roused themselves up to get ready.

"Onward to Garu's demise my men." their leader growled. With that, he vaulted into the foliage. The rest of the team followed him, but much less gracefully. The skunk waited for a few moments for the the last of the ninja's to get ahead, his adrenaline was pounding furiously through his ears.

"Tally Ho." he muttered, and then sprang after them.

--

Meanwhile, heading towards their demise, Garu, Mio and Penelope had their hands full.

Only moments after the old lady's house was broken into, a battle had begun. Mio had leapt forward and attacked the trio of felines, which sprang back for him. Soon it was a flurry mass of claws, fangs and fur. Although it was no ordinary cat fight, it was a ninja cat fight. Soon the felines where rechoshaying off the walls and ceilings, shaking the foundations of the house and knocking vases over and picture frames askew.

The Old Lady (who up until this point had been watching, dumbfounded) suddenly let out a war cry. She dropped Penelope on the floor, and with a rolling pin (she had suddenly conjured out of nowhere from the depths of her apron) went after one of the fighting cats. The feline, Napoleon, had been pinning Mio to the ground and was caught completely off guard. He got full force of the blow and was knocked several yards away outside of the house.

"Outside!" barked Mio "RUN FOR IT!"

With the old lady roaring, waving with her rolling pin, she started for Garu next, furious that he had brought feral animals into the house. The ninja quickly back flipped, landing in the outside garden (smashing some pentunias) and taking off down the garden path. Penelope was right behind him, running like she hadn't run in months, pursued by Mio, and behind him was Cat Clan. Soon, the entire party was far beyond the borders of the Old Lady's garden and into the forests of beyond.

Garu, despite his wounds, felt quite agile again, even with the sword. With a surge of newfound energy, he leapt upward inhumanly, grabbing nearby tree at the edge of the yard of the garden, and swinging himself up into the branches. He leapt, tree frog like, to another canopy of a different tree, then leapt to another. Soon he was leaping nimbly, tree to tree like a spider monkey. Mio followed his masters suit, leaping to a nearby tree and quickly ascending to the leafy treetop. In turn, so did the Cat Clan. Now most of the chase was taking place in the canopy, with all five of them tree hopping, except for poor Penelope. She tried her best to simply keep pace with them down below on the ground, looking up above in the dark to check where they were, following their shady silhouettes making breaks in the sunset sky.

It was getting gradually darker and darker, and the Cat Clan becoming increasingly angry. They yelled and yowled and hiss and spat, always on Mio's tail, but never getting close enough to rake him with their claws. Leaves shook, branches snapped as the party whizzed through them like arrows. Garu glanced behind him, Mio was close behind, and he was glad for it. He was glad to have his old companion back by his side.

What neither Garu, or any of the felines knew, is that coming straight in their direction, was a party of another sort. Tobe's.

Tobe was making a wild dash of his own, only he was on the ground, stirring up leaves on the ground as he ran, and he was being followed by his ninjas. Who, in turn, where unknowingly being pursued by Pepe le Pew, who by this time was becoming quite annoyed with himself. Tobe knew not of the failure of the Cat Clan to capture Mio, only that they had discovered Garu's location, and informed him about it. So now the man was eager to finish his opponent off, his face contorted with anticipation, his pace all the more accelerated, much to the disappointment to his henchmen.

Neither groups (Garu's or Tobe's) had spotted each other yet, in fact, they could quite possibly pass each other by completely unnoticed; they where going so fast, and they where traveling at such differing height levels. In fact, that is what would happen. Penelope, however, was still traveling on the ground, and she wouldn't be able to avoid Tobe's group no matter how hard she tried.

It was a pity she was the first and only to realize this.

Up ahead, through the long towers of tree trunks, she could see a ripple of movement. At first she thought she imagined it, but then she saw a figure tip and fall to the ground (it was one of the bumbling henchmen ninjas, who had tripped over a stump). There was a whole group of men coming towards them! Penelope glanced up into the canopy to see her two friends tree hopping gracefully.

She cried out. Unfortunately, no one heard her.

The men up ahead showed no signs of slowing, and Penelope was close enough to see that there were at least a good thirty of them coming her way. If she didn't find a place to hide, she could get tampled. She stopped in her tracks, looking doubtfully into a nearby oak. She hadn't climbed trees in a while, and she wasn't very good at it, but she had to. She grabbed on, digging her claws into the bark, and hoisted herself up. She was nothing compared to the swiftness of Mio or Garu; it took her few moments to shimmy herself just half way up the trunk, but just in the nick of time.

First to arrive was Tobe, who was chanting some horrible, warlike tune. It was probably meant to lift his henchmen's adrenaline, it seemed to be having a reverse effect. The henchmen trudged faithfully behind him, but they where in no way enthusiastic. As they marched on by, Penelope caught a glimpse of their faces and nearly laughed despite her desperation of the moment. Their expressions where of nothing that could be described, except perhaps of someone who just discovered that their ticket to paradise was squandered by fat man with ear hair.

Penelope clung to the trunk for a minute or so as the group passed underneath her tree, not noticing her at all, and the sound of their tramping footsteps began to fade away. Penelope looked around, finding that everyone she had been following had disappeared into the dimming sunset.

"MIO!" she called, but it was too late. He way out of earshot by now. Garu and Mio had not noticed their friends absence, and neither had the Cat Clan. They didn't notice Tobe and his ninjas either pass directly underneath them, and neither Tobe or any of the ninjas noticed the tree hopping group pass directly overhead. Both parties continued on past each other, completely oblivious to what had happened.

Feeling exhausted, Penelope shimmied down the trunk. As soon as her paws touched the ground she began to run again. She headed direction she had seen Garu and Mio go. She sprinted so hard that she hardly felt her paws touch the earth, her tail lifted out and her ears laid back, she focused on the sunset up ahead, dashing through the dying sunlight beams that twinkled through the leaves. She knew she would have to hurry if she ever wanted to catch up with her friends, and she had a feeling she could if she kept up her pace.

That thought was short-lived however.

Within the next moment or so, she came face to face, with Pepe le Pew.


End file.
